Toy tank



s. L-BERGER 1,871,297

TOY TANK Filed June 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iNVENTOR J maal 1: fiegyer BY ATTORNEY-2i S. l. BERGER Aug. 9, 1932.

TOY TANK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1930 INVENTOR Jar'zzaellfiezyer BY M WMrM ATTORNEYS I Patented Aug. 9, 1932 SAMUEL LBERGER, OF' NEWARK, NEW JERSEY TOY TANK Application filed June 28,

The present invention is concerned with improvements in self-propelled track laying toys of the character which utilize endless wheel connecting bands as traction means.

While the present invention is widely applicable to various types of self-propelled track laying toys, it is particularly adapted to toys of the military tank type which constitute a body having slanting ends and over which a peripherally extending traction belt is moved by a spring motor within the body.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy which is particularly adapted to steadily progress over obstacles and depressions in realistic simulation of the progression of a military tank over battle-torn terrene.

Another object is to provide a toy of the character outlined which will not be injured by falling upon its side or by overturning upon its "back, and which will continue its tractive efi orts though lying on its back or side and which may thus right itself and continue its propulsion in order to overcome seemingly unsurmountable obstacles.

Another object is-to provide a toy which is so balanced as to provide a low center of gravity whereby comparatively large obstacles and deep depressions may be encountered and overcome by the toy without dan' ger of overturning'the'toy.

Another object is to provide a toy embodying improved structures simulating military accout-rements whereby the device will be highly appealing to the imagination of a juvenile operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy of the character described, which is operable to propel itself while either in upright or overturned position.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a toy improved structural embodiments by which a plurality of parts are similar and may be interchanged and combined in the assembly thus to provide economy in manufacture.

Another object is to provide a toy having an improved means for efficiently governing the speed of the toy. V

Another object is to provide the foregoing desideratain a novel, simple, and efficient 1930. Serial No. 464,520.

manner, and to provide a toy which is of rugged, durable, simpleconstruction whereby economy of manufacture is assured.

In a preferred embodiment. of the invention, the body of the tank is generally rhombic in longitudinal section in that it has a fiat top, bottom, and slanting end portions. 7 The toy includes a pair of identical top and bottom members-and substantially identical side member s whereby a minimum 'of an die expense is involved in. the manufacture of the toy. The parallelogram configuration isdeparted from at the extreme ends of the body, thus'to avoid pointed ends which might easily damage or be damaged. Within the 66 body a spring motor is mounted which drives wheels, portions of the peripheral edges of which extend from the body encirclingtraction bands which are movable to drive the. tank by rotation of the wheels. q

The body construction includes gun mounts which extend outwardly beyond the body to provide protection therefor should. the. tank fall upon its side and to retain the body canted so that at least one traction belt is at all times operative. The body also has mounted thereon a central gun which extends forwardly flush with the top of the body and which is wholly within the confines of the toy so that should the toy fall upon its back, thegun will not contactthe ground and will not interfere with the tractive ef-. forts of the toy. y v

The weight of the motor assembly is centered at one end and below the longitudinal center of the toywhereby a low center of gravity is provided in order to minimize the danger of overturning the device and to:

' permit inclining of the device in overcoming obstacles or depressions. The motor is provided with a unique governor device includ ing a pivoted and weighted arm which is movable by centrifugal force into braking engagement with a relatively stationary member.

In the drawings,

, Fig. 1 is a perspective View of one form of the present invention. a

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken on staggered line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 4- 1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the side gun and mount before assembly on the body, and

Fig. 6 is. a detail view of the side gun before its assembly on the side gun mount.

In the illustrated embodiment the end, top

and bottom of the body are formed by upper and lower similar sheets of metal 10 and 11 following the contour of and joined to substantially rhombic spaced side members 21.

Members 10 and 11, each include a horizontalso that it may properly abut and conform with an inclined step 14a between the top and the. ledge 13. As shown at 16 in Fig. 2, the step is apertured to receive therethrough the extreme tip of the gun, this engagement assisting the tongues to securing the gun in position; By such mounting of the gun, it will be seen that itdoes not extend beyond the confines of the body, and overturning of the toy will not injure the gun and the traction belts will be free to act even when the toy is in overturned position.

At the frontof the ledge 13 the top, piece turns down at right angles tobe joined with an aligned portion of the bottom piece, the

pieces'being joined by rolled interlocked relation, asat 17 and forming a flat surface from which the bottom sloping surface 18.

extends inwardly to form the upwardly sloping tank like front of thebody. The surface 18, of thebottom piece has a counterpart in the upwardly sloping surface of the rearof the top piece, similarly numbered. The rear ends of the pieces are joined in the manner of the front ends by a rolled or crimped interlocking juncture '17,. 'As illustrated, the bot-v tom piece may have the gun 14 left off. However,it may be used if a reversible toy is desired. In any instance, economy of production is accomplished by; producing similar pieces which may be formed by a single die.

a hook 20 extends through the rear end portion and is'bent up; to lie parallel therewith, its upper endbeing secured by an extended tongue bent inwardly from the end piece.

The sides 21 of the tank are rounded to avoid sharp corners,and. -are secured to the pieces 10.and.11 by the provision ofa plural' ity of extendingtongues carried by the body portions and receivable through the side to be bent over thereagainst. The peripheral edges of the sides are provided with inwardly extending flanges 23, which overlie the outer edges of the top and bottom pieces, to

46 extends. A gun mount 25 of substantially triangular longitudinal section and preferablyformed by a single piece of metal is provided and mounts a gun barrel 26. Barrel 26 is formed of rolled material, its rear end being widened and being provided with extending tongues 27 which are receivable through two receiving apertures of the front face of the gun mount. The front face of the gun mount is also provided with a substantially. crescent shaped aperture 25A, which receives therethrough an extending edge, 28 of the barrel, the tongues and extending edge combining to secure the gun in proper position. By the specific structure of the gun mount, the apex of which extends outwardly fromthe sides of the gun, it will be seen that the gun barrel is in protected position, thus the tanlomay fall upon its sides without danger of striking the gun. In such position the tank will rest upon the apex of the mount, preventing the toy from lying on its side on the floor and thus one of its tractionbands will have edgewise contact with the floor, thus, to continue tractive efforts.

.The powerplant comprises. a simple spring mQI Or mounted within the body at one end thereof and disposed with its center of gravity-below the center of the body. The motor spring is mounted between plates 30 and- 31, which are joined to provide a casing therefor. A second motor plate 32 is secured in spaced relation, to one of the. plates and constitutes a journal plate and enclosure for a trainof speedmultiplyinggearsindicated by the. numeral 33. and designed to give a fly wheel effect; V

. The main gear 34: is mounted upon an angular main shaft 35 for longitudinal and rotative moyementwith respect thereto. The main shaft carriesJther-eon for movement therewith a toothed wheel 36, the teeth of which are adapted for engagement, upon rotation. of the. shaft by unwinding of the For adapting the toy to entrain other toy-S,v motor, with detents 37 struck out from the main gear,-thus to drive-the wheel as'the spring un-winds. The other end of the shaft extends through the winding key aperture 38A in the side and terminates in the integrally formed key 38".- Upon winding of the spring, the tongues move over the detents, moving the main. gear longitudinally of the shaftagainst the tension of the spring 39,

thus providing for winding of the spring without rotation of the wheels.

The speed increasing gear train 33 is arranged to drive a governor mounted upon a transverse shaft 41. The shaft 41 extends through an enlarged bearing 42 constituting a stationary braking surface. Adjacent the bearing 42, a governor bracket 43 carried by the shaft 41 is provided, to which a governor arm 44 is pivoted. The arm 44 includes an enlarged and thus weighted outer extremity, which is turned in to secure a leaf spring 45 which extends from the end towards the governor bracket and normally urges the governor to the inward position of its weighted end as indicated in Fig. 3. When the motor operates, the governor gear is rotated at a high speed and the weighted end moves outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force; the inner extremity of the arm is movable into engagement with the stationary bushing to govern the speed of the spring motor. The shaft 41 is also provided with a right angularly turned extremity which is engageable with an internally pivoted brake arm 46, movable by its externally extending operating extremity to engage the angular end of the shaft, thus to block rotation of the shaft and effectively prevent operation of the spring motor.

The main gear directly drives a driving gear 40 mounted upon an axle 39, which supports and drives the belt driving wheels 49. The belts pass around similar wheels 51,

' which are supported upon an axle 52, mounted in a corresponding position at the opposite end of the toy. The top and bottom pieces are cut away at either end to accommodate the wheels, whereby only a portion of the wheel peripheries extends beyond the sides for supporting the belts. The body portions are also cut and inwardly bent to provide pulley receiving apertures andpulley hearing ears 54A. Pulleys 54 are thus internally supported, the extending portions of the peripheries of the pulleys and wheels constituting a series of supporting members which provide for the periphery mounting of the traction belts.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 4, the traction belts 50 include a central V shaped inwardly extending body portion 51, and an outer extending flange 52, which is provided with spaced traction webs. By the provision of the specific type of belt here shown, it will be seen that a wide traction surface is provided without requiring the use of wide traction wheels or pulleys. As noted in Fig. 4, both pulleys and wheels are provided with a V shaped groove which receives therein the V shaped body 51 of the belt to provide efli cient traction means therefor.

In the operation of the device it will be seen that forced rotation of the shaft 35 by means of the winding key formed integral therewith will wind the spring of the motor, the teeethof the wheel 36 striking the detents 37 of the main gear 34, thus to move the gear longitudinally of the'shaft and to permit free winding rotation of the shaft without consequent rotation of the driving gear. After the motor is wound, pivotal movement of the brake arm 46 will release the angular end of the governor shaft and permit the motor to operate, thus to rotate the main driving gear at a constant normal, speed as controlled through the governor assembly. Upon rotation of the main gear, the driving wheels 49 will be rotated to move the traction belts about the body over the opposite end wheels and the intermediate pulleys.

Such movement of the belts will be seen to propel the body. Should the body strike an object which throws it upon its side, the projecting gun mounts will retain the toy with one edge of the one of the belts in tractive relation to the floor, and thus tractive efforts will continue whereby the toy may be assisted in overcoming the obstacle. Shouldthetoy strike an object, the inclination of which is such that the toy is not able to surmount it, it will be seen that the toy will continue its tractive efiorts up the face of the obstacle. and when it reaches approximate vertical position, it will fall back in overturned position. The mounting of the upper gun 14 is such that such falling will not injure the gun, and is also such as to per mit free tractive efforts by the bands when the toy is in such overturned position.

It will be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several fea tures of this invention are embodied, and which in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-.

ters Patent, is:

1. A toy tank of the character set forth including a hollow body,tractionmeanstherefor and a driving motor for said traction means housed within said body, said body being formed of side members and a top and a bottom member, said top and bottom members constituting similar pieces of sheet metal joined at their ends to provide top, bottom and ends of the body, the side members having flanges engaging the outer faces of the top and bottom members along the edges of the latter. 7

. 2. A toy tank of the character set forth including a hollow body,tractionmeanstherefor and a driving motor for said traction means housed within said body, said body being formed of similar side members and similar top and bottom members, said members being formed by die stamping from sheet metal, whereby all four members may be formed by a single pair of dies, the side members having flanges engaging the outer faces of the top and bottom members along the edges of the latter.

3. A toy tank of the character set forth including a hollow body,traction means therefor and a driving motor for said traction means housed within said body, said body being formed of side members and top and bottommembers, said top and bottom members constituting similar pieces of sheet metal joined at their ends to provide top, bottom and ends of the body, said side members including peripheral flanges adapted to overhe the. top and bottom members to embrace and secure them in body forming relation.

4:. A toy tank includin a body stamped to simulate a gun turret on its upper surface and a gunccarried by said body, traction bands at each side of the body, said turret and gun being wholly within the limits defined by the compass of said traction bands. 5. A toy tank including a body stamped to simulate a gun turret onits upper surface and a gun carried by said body, said body including peripherally extending traction bands movably carried thereby for propelling the toy, said turret and gun being wholly within the outer limits of the compass of said bands. 7

6. A tank simulating self-propelled track laying toy including a body, a gun turret, and gun carried by the top of said body, and a pair of spaced peripherally extending traction bands carried by said body and between which the gun and turret are disposed, both of said bands encompassing a space larger than the adjacent side of the body and extending beyond said gun turret and said body at all points.

7. A tank simulating self-propelled track laying toy including a body, a gun turret, and gun carried by the top of said body, and a pair of spaced peripherally extending traction bands carried by said body and between which the gun and turret are disposed, both of said bands encompassing a space larger than the adjacent side of the body and extending beyond said gun turret and said body at all points, and a pair of side gun mounts extending beyond the sides of the bands.

Signed at Newark in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey this 24th day of June A. D. 1930. v j

SAMUEL I. BERGER.- 

